Family and friends pay loving, laughter-filled tribute to Rod Love

A few weeks ago, while planning his wake during the final days of his battle with pancreatic cancer, Rod Love issued a strict edict — there would be no funeral.

“If I see church pews, hear hymns, or smell incense … I’m not coming,” Love had said, according to his longtime friend Jack Donahue.

Instead, Love — close friend, chief of staff and political adviser to the late Ralph Klein — requested that those close to him gather for drinks and merriment.

When he died last Sunday at the age of 61, his loved ones made sure his wishes were fulfilled.

On Saturday, family, friends, journalists, and politicians from all levels of government packed into the Calgary Golf and Country Club to remember Love with joyful memories and stories that filled the room with laughter.

As giant flakes of snow floated from the sky and blanketed the golf course, inside the country club, guests mingled, sipped wine, and admired a display of Love’s photos and mementoes, including jersey of the sports enthusiast’s beloved Detroit Redwings and Cincinnati Reds.

A single bagpiper played a mournful tune to signal the start of the memorial.

Donahue was first to take the podium, bringing the crowd back to Love’s childhood.

Born in Yorkton, Sask., Love — one of five children — grew up in various cities in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Nova Scotia, before finally settling in Calgary in the 1970s.

Love studied political sciences but yearned to gain experience in the real world of politics outside of the classroom. He set out to Klein’s mayoral campaign office in 1980 to offer his assistance.

Moments after their first meeting, Love was thrown the keys to Klein’s father’s motorhome and soon found himself chauffeuring the future mayor of Calgary and future premier of Alberta on an errand.

At one point during the ride, Love noticed Klein was naked, holding a rum and coke in one hand and a cigarette in the other, apparently taking a break from changing into a suit, Donahue recounted to a roaring crowd.

It was a fateful day, when Love became Klein’s campaign manager, marking the start of one of Alberta’s most dynamic political duos, as the pair first took Calgary then Alberta by storm.

Friend and former CFCN newsroom boss Thompson MacDonald said Love was serious about family, friendship and career. Former Ontario premier Mike Harris remembered Love as someone who didn’t just sit in the stands but was always on the playing field.

Heather Forsyth, MLA for Calgary Fish Creek, credited Love for guiding her in her own political journey.

“He taught me to fight for what I believed in,” Forsyth said, her voice trembling with emotion as she shared memories of Love, with whom she remained close even after she left the PCs to join the Wildrose Party.

Don Martin, a former Herald columnist and author of the Klein biography King Ralph, said he broke a golden rule of journalism by becoming friends with a source, after connecting with Love over frequent meetings at the bar. He marvelled at Love’s media savvy and his ability to seize upon opportunities throughout his career.

Martin imagined Love joining Klein — who would have turned 72 on Saturday — for “cigarettes that are good for you and hangover-free wine.”

But above all, Love was a family man who adored his wife Charlene and his children James, Katie, and Haley. Martin said he watched the kids grow up through their proud father’s photos and stories.

As the memorial came to a close, Donahue urged everyone to conjure up a fond memory of Love as the song Ghost Riders in the Sky played. At the end, Donahue delivered a message Love had asked him to relay to the crowd.

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This story was produced by the Calgary Herald in collaboration with SAIT Polytechnic to promote awareness of this topic for commercial purposes. The Calgary Herald's editorial departments had no involvement in the creation of this content.